We are stuck in Delhi, but I'm determined to have a good time. Others are not. I'm not letting the loss of Nepal ruin things for me, and I'm not going to let others do it, either.
I will get to Nepal - I'll just have to do it a different way.
Madan is trying to appease everyone and people are throwing ideas at him. Everyone is reading their guide books suddenly and going online (I'm sure Madan is damning that free wifi at this hotel), then retuning with ideas about what we should be doing.
Meanwhile, his office has other plans. We all protested a "Bollywood Showcase" that they wanted us to see. I expressed that educational things or sights that are different to what we have back home would be much better. We are in Delhi, for Krishna's sake! There have to be some temples, mosques, markets, or something.
The other problem is that our "emergency" hotel is out in the suburbs, there is nothing but gated apartment buildings around us, and it takes 40 minutes to get into Delhi proper. We are in Delhi's sprawl. So nobody can leave the hotel and take pictures, say, or shop, or eat out or anything. I'm trapped in a very nice bubble.
Meanwhile, the videographer with us is off working on something new for the travel company. She at least got to see different places and do something. I'm insanely jealous.
Based on what happened later in the day, I have serious doubts about what the India Tourism Industry thinks Americans want to see.
The Lonely Planet guide lists Humayun's Tomb as the top thing to see in Delhi, but we skipped it originally. I had read about it in the Taj Mahal book. It is considered by many to be a precursor to the Taj and it sets the tone for Mughal architecture. Plus, it is the burial place of Akbar's father.
It was commissioned by Humayun's wife, and built by architects of Persian descent, with Persian design elements (arched portals and an octantal burial chamber). The star design that resembles the Star of David is actually a Hindu cosmological symbol that portrays spirit and matter in balance.
I read that some historians hypothesize about the white marble, red sandstone combination on the building. Akbar was the tolerant leader, his wives had different religions that they were allowed to practice, he learned from all different religions and philosophies...maybe the color choice was intentionally associating his empire with the two highest Hindu castes: the white of the Brahmins and the red of the Kshatriyas.
Irregardless, it is an important Mughal site, and also architecturally interesting due to the future building of the Taj Mahal.
We had started later than usual, so Madan pushed lunch back and took us to Bangala Sahib, a Sikh Temple. This was one of the highlights of the trip. First of all, I knew nothing about Sikhs. I've certainly never been to a Sikh temple.
Sikhism is a young religion that began only five hundred years ago. It was founded by Guru Nanak and is strictly monotheistic. No caste system or idol worship, rituals, or superstitions are accepted. It is about practical living, optimism, and hope, with a dash of self protection thrown in.
"When an affair is past every other remedy it is righteous indeed to unsheathe the sword."- Guru Gobind Singh
Sikh's are represented by the five K's.
Kesha (long hair and unsworn beard - they are not allowed to cut any of their hair - they wear simple turbans)
Kangha (a comb for taming all that hair)
Kara (a steel bracelet)
Kachha (a pair of shorts worn as undergarments)
Kirpan (a sword or dagger)
They also believe in feeding those who are hungry. No questions asked. The only requirements are an orderly, calm demeanor and a head covering. We saw the soup kitchen work first hand, and it was an amazing operation. They were churning our stews, naan, and dumplings on a massive scale. The food hall was completely packed. The staff were all volunteers. It was such a good experience for everyone. This is what people who come to India should see.
Along with the Taj Mahal, of course.
After lunch, we headed to Hinduism's Disneyland-like temple, the Akshardham Temple.
This modern (2005) temple was built from sandstone and white marble and has about twenty thousand carved deities, and 148 carved elephants - all of them different. Unlike most Hindu temples, this one is not dedicated to a particular deity, but to an actual person: Swaminarayan (1781-1830), who claimed that he was the true incarnation of Krishna. His movement emphasized abstaining from self indulgences and focusing on meditation and worship. There were many signs proclaiming the moral benefits of vegetarianism, non-violence, world peace and self improvement.
There are animatronics and movies that tell the story of Swaminarayan. It was interesting to see the families and groups of friends hanging out, getting excited about seeing this. Then there was a ten minute boat ride ("Ten Thousand Years in Ten Minutes!") that was similar to the Pirates of Penzance, minus the pirates. It was a tour of everything India has been first at, and best at. Including chess, making airplanes, chemistry, astronomy, mathematics, and plastic surgery.
The whole thing about this experience was that this is what some families do for fun here...and isn't that the point of travel? To see how other people live, what they find amusing, what they like to eat?
This also brought another issue up for me. India's security. In many places, there are no bags allowed (at the Temple a woman could carry a pocketbook that was 4" by 6"). At the Taj Mahal, we were searched, there are no cosmetics, tripods, cameras (or there is a fee), no cell phones , no anything, really.
At every site and especially at the airport, women and men are separated into two lines. The women are ushered into a two-person booth with a female security person and drapes on either side of the booth. Here, women are individually patted down and a wand passed over them. The men get their searches done in the open. The most thorough search was at the Akshardham Temple, where each woman gets a pat down, breast squeeze and wand for good measure. As one fellow traveler out it, "That was like a Saturday night with my husband."
On our touring bus, we are not allowed to have curtains, and the interior lights must be on at night. Which means you are like a glowing fishbowl rolling down the street and there is no respite from the staring. But these are security measures that India has put in place because they have had their share of terrible terrorist attacks. In fact, just yesterday, the big news was an arrest of a potential terrorist who had stockpiles of explosives in his Delhi apartment. So their fear is not unfounded.
I will get to Nepal - I'll just have to do it a different way.
Madan is trying to appease everyone and people are throwing ideas at him. Everyone is reading their guide books suddenly and going online (I'm sure Madan is damning that free wifi at this hotel), then retuning with ideas about what we should be doing.
Meanwhile, his office has other plans. We all protested a "Bollywood Showcase" that they wanted us to see. I expressed that educational things or sights that are different to what we have back home would be much better. We are in Delhi, for Krishna's sake! There have to be some temples, mosques, markets, or something.
The other problem is that our "emergency" hotel is out in the suburbs, there is nothing but gated apartment buildings around us, and it takes 40 minutes to get into Delhi proper. We are in Delhi's sprawl. So nobody can leave the hotel and take pictures, say, or shop, or eat out or anything. I'm trapped in a very nice bubble.
Meanwhile, the videographer with us is off working on something new for the travel company. She at least got to see different places and do something. I'm insanely jealous.
Based on what happened later in the day, I have serious doubts about what the India Tourism Industry thinks Americans want to see.
The Lonely Planet guide lists Humayun's Tomb as the top thing to see in Delhi, but we skipped it originally. I had read about it in the Taj Mahal book. It is considered by many to be a precursor to the Taj and it sets the tone for Mughal architecture. Plus, it is the burial place of Akbar's father.
It was commissioned by Humayun's wife, and built by architects of Persian descent, with Persian design elements (arched portals and an octantal burial chamber). The star design that resembles the Star of David is actually a Hindu cosmological symbol that portrays spirit and matter in balance.
I read that some historians hypothesize about the white marble, red sandstone combination on the building. Akbar was the tolerant leader, his wives had different religions that they were allowed to practice, he learned from all different religions and philosophies...maybe the color choice was intentionally associating his empire with the two highest Hindu castes: the white of the Brahmins and the red of the Kshatriyas.
Irregardless, it is an important Mughal site, and also architecturally interesting due to the future building of the Taj Mahal.
We had started later than usual, so Madan pushed lunch back and took us to Bangala Sahib, a Sikh Temple. This was one of the highlights of the trip. First of all, I knew nothing about Sikhs. I've certainly never been to a Sikh temple.
Sikhism is a young religion that began only five hundred years ago. It was founded by Guru Nanak and is strictly monotheistic. No caste system or idol worship, rituals, or superstitions are accepted. It is about practical living, optimism, and hope, with a dash of self protection thrown in.
"When an affair is past every other remedy it is righteous indeed to unsheathe the sword."- Guru Gobind Singh
Sikh's are represented by the five K's.
Kesha (long hair and unsworn beard - they are not allowed to cut any of their hair - they wear simple turbans)
Kangha (a comb for taming all that hair)
Kara (a steel bracelet)
Kachha (a pair of shorts worn as undergarments)
Kirpan (a sword or dagger)
They also believe in feeding those who are hungry. No questions asked. The only requirements are an orderly, calm demeanor and a head covering. We saw the soup kitchen work first hand, and it was an amazing operation. They were churning our stews, naan, and dumplings on a massive scale. The food hall was completely packed. The staff were all volunteers. It was such a good experience for everyone. This is what people who come to India should see.
Along with the Taj Mahal, of course.
After lunch, we headed to Hinduism's Disneyland-like temple, the Akshardham Temple.
This modern (2005) temple was built from sandstone and white marble and has about twenty thousand carved deities, and 148 carved elephants - all of them different. Unlike most Hindu temples, this one is not dedicated to a particular deity, but to an actual person: Swaminarayan (1781-1830), who claimed that he was the true incarnation of Krishna. His movement emphasized abstaining from self indulgences and focusing on meditation and worship. There were many signs proclaiming the moral benefits of vegetarianism, non-violence, world peace and self improvement.
There are animatronics and movies that tell the story of Swaminarayan. It was interesting to see the families and groups of friends hanging out, getting excited about seeing this. Then there was a ten minute boat ride ("Ten Thousand Years in Ten Minutes!") that was similar to the Pirates of Penzance, minus the pirates. It was a tour of everything India has been first at, and best at. Including chess, making airplanes, chemistry, astronomy, mathematics, and plastic surgery.
The whole thing about this experience was that this is what some families do for fun here...and isn't that the point of travel? To see how other people live, what they find amusing, what they like to eat?
This also brought another issue up for me. India's security. In many places, there are no bags allowed (at the Temple a woman could carry a pocketbook that was 4" by 6"). At the Taj Mahal, we were searched, there are no cosmetics, tripods, cameras (or there is a fee), no cell phones , no anything, really.
At every site and especially at the airport, women and men are separated into two lines. The women are ushered into a two-person booth with a female security person and drapes on either side of the booth. Here, women are individually patted down and a wand passed over them. The men get their searches done in the open. The most thorough search was at the Akshardham Temple, where each woman gets a pat down, breast squeeze and wand for good measure. As one fellow traveler out it, "That was like a Saturday night with my husband."
On our touring bus, we are not allowed to have curtains, and the interior lights must be on at night. Which means you are like a glowing fishbowl rolling down the street and there is no respite from the staring. But these are security measures that India has put in place because they have had their share of terrible terrorist attacks. In fact, just yesterday, the big news was an arrest of a potential terrorist who had stockpiles of explosives in his Delhi apartment. So their fear is not unfounded.
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